Alternate
by The Happy Cupcake
Summary: He was always second. But for once, there was a tie, and there's no way in hell he'd give that up to just come in second again. What could've happened if Mello had joined Near after L's death. AU. Eventual Mello X Near possibly depending if it fits in the plot.


So I'm starting up something new... Eventual Mello Near pairing because I'm in love with the two cuties together. Without further ado, begin!

 **{{}}-I don't own nothin, k?-{{}}**

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Silence.

It was the only sound entity that permeated the room after Roger had delivered the news.

"L is dead."

It was unbelievable. Improbable! L wouldn't lose. L _couldn't_ lose. L was _supposed_ to be invincible, _unbeatable_.

But reality came crashing harshly onto the other two beings that occupied the room. The reality that _Kira_ had won the match, and L had _lost_. Their ro-model. Who they were raised to become- _lived_ to succeed. Gone. Like a single drop of rain disappearing in the depths of a lake, leaving nothing but a few momentary ripples on the surface in its wake.

No matter how strongly it seemed that the Earth had come screeching to a halt on its axis to the two top successors, the clock kept ticking, and one of the two fought the truth.

"L _said_ he would catch Kira and get him executed! He _can't_ be dead!" Denial. The boy paused, calming only slightly. "Who'd he choose?" He demanded an answer, blonde bangs covering his eyes as he ducked his head to hide his grief.

Roger sighed. "He hadn't chosen yet." Another pause. "You could... work together."

Mello's eyes widened slightly at the suggestion. There was no _way_ he'd work with _Near._ Near was his enemy, his rival, the sole reason that he always came in second place. But... this time he _hadn't_ come in second. _It was a tie._ It was a tie, and there was no way in _hell_ he was gonna forfeit his place sharing first to be the dreaded second once again.

"Sure. Sounds good." Near agreed in monotony, seemingly more interested in his puzzle than anything. He wasn't of course, that was just his distraction. It just made it that much easier to mask his feelings over L's death. He looked up to L. L was a hero, and that _hero_ was now dead and six feet under, nothing but organic matter ready to decompose. L wasn't any longer the world's greatest detective. He'd _failed_ and he was now a mere _nothingness_.

The blonde clenched his hands and grit his teeth, infuriated at Near's apparent lack of care. He settled though, forcing his anger below the surface, where it couldn't be unleashed. " _Fine_."

The albino's eyes shot to the blonde, his mask off for a moment, having shown his surprise at being wrong. He had deduced that Mello would've huffed and refused to work alongside himself, but his deduction was wrong. He'd _never_ been wrong before. What was worse was that Mello noticed. He noticed the slip of the mask and just stared, even after Near regained his emotionless expression. Near tried to draw reasons as to why Mello would even _consider_ working with whom he supposedly execrated. He couldn't find one, or at least a _likely_ one. Mello was more likely to join the goddam _mafia_ than work with him, at least that's what Near thought.

Mello was still staring. He still held anger for the albino, _sure_. But this was real life, not some petty competition at Whammy's House. He needed to get over himself and do this. For L. For the world. For _justice_.

He adverted his gaze from the albino. He and Near were no longer rivals- they were equals now, so what was hating him all those years for? It didn't matter now. The rivalry was gone, along with his motive for loathing the boy. _So what now?_ How was he supposed to act now that he didn't have to utterly despise the boy?

Roger sighed, "that is all for now. You are dismissed."

Near moved to leave while Mello sauntered up to the desk, not satisfied with the discussion. "What about the suspect list?! L didn't just spend months doing absolutely nothing!" He was sure of it. L was many things but he wasn't lazy. He solved back to back cases in record time, not even taking enough time off to get a good night's rest.

The aging man's eyes seemed tired, worn. "I was told there was a data deletion-"

He was interrupted. "What do you _mean_ a data deletion?! All L's work is _gone_?!" Vexation was clear on the boy's face.

"Afraid so." The elder sighed again, sorrow faintly displayed upon his face. L hadn't been the only one to lose his life. His friend, Quillish, of many years had too.

Fists slammed down on the desk before feet stormed out, following in the footsteps of the albino, but in a much more enraged fashion.

They would have to start from _square one._ Figure out what L had with less than what he knew. The two cooperating successors sat side by side, focusing on nothing but the surrounding monitors full of every single public known information involving the Kira case and the Japanese police that took it on.

When the killings began, nearly two years ago. Lists of criminals that had their names and faces aired that dropped dead of heart attacks rapidly. The supposed leak within the Japanese Police. The death of the FBI agents last December. The disappearance of ex-agent Naomi Misora, reported by her family in Japan whom she was visiting. The Kira tapes aired on Sakura TV and officer Hirokazu Ukita's death. The discovery that the Kira tapes had been made by a copycat Kira, after the supposed real Kira had confirmed so on Sakura TV.

The approximate three month period of time in which the police chief's very prosperous son had stopped going to his college courses. The joining of the same son into the Kira case a few months later. The Japanese task force's agreement to cooperate with Kira after being bribed by the Yotsuba corporation along with the resignation of chief Soichiro Yagami, Touta Matsuda, and Kanzo Mogi. The near arrest, and the death of Kyosuke Higuchi, one of Yotsuba's CEOs after suspicious deaths by heart attack to business rivals. The continuation of killings post Higuchi's death.

 _L's death._

"Near, was there anyone else that went missing around the same time as the chief's son last year?" It felt odd to Mello, to be speaking calmly to Near. It all seemed so surreal, the rivalry being over and done with. His eyes lingered on Near's softly pale face for a few seconds longer than he normally would've after asking. The whole thing would definitely take some getting used to.

Near typed speedily, eyes darting across letters on a screen. "Yes. It appears that known Japanese model, Misa Amane also went into temporary hiding at that time." He spoke, drawing conclusions as words met his eyes. He expanded on the search of the model immediately, his finger curling a single lock of pearly white hair. Misa Amane. An orphan. Witness to her parents murder.

Keyboard keys produced tapping and clicking sounds as they were rapidly pressed.

Hidenobu Saito. Victim of Kira and accused of murdering the parents of Amane, but yet to be convicted.

Near's eyes lit up. A motive. Mello's head whipped around to the screen Near was looking at.

"The second Kira." Mello voiced what Near had concluded.

"Yes. Which assumably connotes that L suspected Light Yagami as the original Kira."

"So this Higuchi guy was a third Kira."

"Presumably the only one who could be proven guilty in consideration of his near arrest."

"Any recordings on the killing method?"

Near paused, searching for the particular piece of information. "No."

"Dammit." Mello clenched his fists. How could they get Kira _convicted_ without a killing method? _They couldn't._ They would need to find a way around it. The search continued.

"Take a look at this." Near directed expressionlessly, his eyes fixated on the monitor. It was a video. A man behind a screen, with a disguised voice. He told about his findings of suspicion within the Yotsuba Corp. It was cut off there. He opened another window that revealed an obituary of a person by the name of Taro Matsui who had supposedly fallen off a ledge in the same building as Yotsuba, his picture identical to that of resigned policeman Touta Matsuda.

"Faked death... fake name... He was the one behind the screen." The blonde quickly concluded. Near nodded as a reply.

"The video footage was taken on the same day of the scheduled arrest." He supplied, letting Mello draw out the rest of the conclusion himself.

"Higuchi would've needed to figure out his real name... meaning he would go to find his file."

"L would've predicted this, and would've set up either a trap, or a preventative in order to find out the killing method." The albino finished, turning to look at Mello.

Mello paused for a moment. How would he acquire surveillance of the file room? It was crucial that they get it as soon as possible. If they were lucky, Higuchi might've attempted to kill the officer immediately after getting his file, showing them the killing method fast and simple. The only problem was they did not possess the surveillance of the file room on that night. The clock ticked.

A lightbulb flashed on.

"I need to make a phone call."

There was only one person Mello knew that could hack into any electronical system, even whilst being countries away.

Matt.

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Questions? Comments? I'll take em all! I might not continue this... but who knows?


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